


A Joint Venture

by cosmictruffle



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games)
Genre: Dom/sub, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-30
Updated: 2012-12-30
Packaged: 2017-11-22 23:24:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/615552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmictruffle/pseuds/cosmictruffle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Espio encourages Vector's dream of starting a detective agency, and agrees to be a part of it, thinking it will be a fun and rewarding career. But strange feelings for his best friend are the real reason that drove him to join...</p><p>Vecpio slash. Cute and fluffy, with a dash of angst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Dream

Vector and Espio were taking a stroll through the park at sunset. It had been ages since their last adventure, so they made a point to exercise daily to keep in shape. The third member of their group, Charmy Bee, was away playing with his "friend, not girlfriend" Cream the Rabbit, so they were alone as they made their way along the lightly wooded path. Espio glanced up at his crocodilian friend, whose tall, muscular body dwarfed his own.

Suddenly, Espio stopped walking.

"Vector, what are we doing?"

Turning around, the crocodile replied, "We're goin' for a walk, silly!"

"No, I mean... what are we doing? With our lives?"

"Whaddya mean, Esp?" The crocodilian tilted his head quizzically.

"Look at Sonic and Tails. They have a mission in life - they save the world from Dr. Eggman. Knuckles, he guards the Master Emerald. Mighty dedicates himself to a life of non-violence. Shadow is trying to be a good person to atone for the bad things he's done. I don't know about Rouge, but she seems like she's always got something planned. Miss Vanilla is committed to being a great parent to her daughter. Even Amy has a purpose - she wants to find true love." Espio looked down at his feet after saying that, and paused before continuing. "You, Charmy and I spend our days doing nothing in particular. Do not get me wrong, I... love you guys, but... Do you ever feel aimless? Like something is missing?"

Vector scratched his head, apparently getting the impression Espio wasn't just talking about dedicating himself to a cause. Seemingly unsure how to continue, he answered, "Erm... that's some pretty heavy stuff Esp. I thought ya enjoyed hangin' out with us..."

"Oh, no, I do, more than anything!" Espio said quickly. "But don't you feel like we could be doing more with our lives? I've just felt so... exhilarated during our last journey, knowing I had a goal and that I was working toward it, no matter what the cost. And having you and Charmy along was the icing on the cake."

"Hrmm... To tell ya the truth, though I'd been perfectly content with the way things were, a teensy part of me did feel... I dunno, unfulfilled, I guess. But I'd do it for the rest of my life as long as I was with you guys. Yer my best friends! Darn it, I'm startin' to sound like a sap." The crocodile looked embarassed.

Espio's expression changed.

"Do you... have any dreams?" the purple chameleon said, suddenly.

"Whaddya mean, 'dreams'? That's a loaded term, Esp." Vector seemed to know what Espio meant on the surface, but he could obviously tell the chameleon had something else on his mind. He hoped to goad it out of him.

"Just answer."

"I'm gonna go with 'plans', since ya don't seem ta wanna elaborate." Vector crossed his arms, realizing Espio wasn't going to spill the beans. Then he faltered. "Erm... well... honestly..." He stopped. "Nah, it's a stupid idea."

"Tell me."

Vector sighed. "Promise ya won't laugh?"

"I would never." Espio was still wearing the same imperceptible expression.

"Okay... argh, I know it sounds silly, but... well, I always had this idea of you, me and Charm runnin' some sorta... detective agency." Vector shut his eyes, expecting a snide remark.

"Really?"

Vector looked at Espio and frowned. "Ya think it's dumb, don'tcha?"

Espio stepped closer. "No! No, Vector, I think it's a great idea! I just never expected you to say something like that! You seemed so content with life, I had no idea you had such an interesting dream!"

"So... whaddya think?"

"About becoming a detective?"

"Yeah."

Espio smiled. "I would love to. And I bet Charmy will feel the same way."

Vector's face turned pink. "Awr... Yer the best, buddy..."

Espio found himself unexpectedly pulled into a hug, squeezed tightly against the much bigger reptile. He could feel the hard muscles of Vector's massive chest against his face, the crocodile's biceps squeezing his sides. He could even feel Vector's heartbeat, which seemed a little faster than it should have been. Suddenly, the chameleon felt uncomfortably warm.

Looking down, Vector remarked, "Wow, Esp, yer entire body is red! Are ya mad or somethin'?"

"U-uh, y-yeah, mad! I'm just so angry that you had to feel ashamed about your dreams!"

Vector looked puzzled. "If ya say so..."

He didn't stop the hug, though.

* * *

As they made their way back to the shack they called home, Espio pondered to himself.

Espio had lied to his crocodilian friend. The reason he had turned red wasn't because he was angry. The real reason was, well... even he didn't really know.

Ever since he met Vector, the chameleon had felt a connection with the crocodile that he had never known with anyone else before. At first he'd thought it was because they were both reptiles, but he didn't think it was that anymore. He felt an ache in his chest whenever the crocodile was away from him, and a warmness when he was nearby. He found himself staring at Vector for no reason, simply taking in his form. Being around Vector just felt... good, but it also didn't. Somehow whenever he was around, the chameleon felt nervous, like there was a knot in his stomach. He couldn't speak eloquently, he felt self-conscious...

The only thing he could conclude from this was that he was either allergic to Vector or that he... was in love with him.

Espio couldn't understand his feelings. Guys were supposed to like girls, not other guys. He wondered if anyone else thought like him. Perhaps he just felt safe around Vector due to his size. Or maybe this was how best friends felt around each other? Regardless, he'd never brought up the subject with the crocodile, who was very straightforward and would probably think he was weird.

So Espio pined for him in silence.

He did legitimately think Vector's detective idea was good, but the main reason he had agreed was because it would make Vector like him more. Vector could have said he wanted to start a garbage disposal service and Espio would have jumped at the opportunity to stay close to him.

"Somethin' on yer mind, Esp?"

The chameleon jolted back to reality, unaware of how deeply he had been lost in thought. "Uh, I was just trying to think of a name for the detective agency." He paused. "N-not that it's really my decision - it should be up to you."

Vector smiled, looking down at his friend. "Aw, yer gonna be on equal terms with me, buddy. Don't think like I'm some big boss or somethin'. Yer supportin' me, so I wouldn't feel right givin' ya orders or anything. So thinka this as a joint venture." He patted Espio on the back.

"Thanks, Vector. That's kind of you."

* * *

The pair got home and found Charmy already there, engrossed in a colouring book on the floor.

"Yo, Charm! Whatcha doin' back so soon?" Vector said, pulling out a seat at the nearby table and planting himself there, his feet resting on top of the table.

"Hi Vector! Hi Espio! Cream had to go home early because she was sick."

"Yikes. I take it she didn't like yer smoochin' skills?"

Charmy turned bright pink. "She's not my girlfriend, Vector!"

Espio chuckled, walking over to the bunk bed he and Vector shared, climbing to the top bunk (which was his) and lying down. "Sure, she isn't."

"I mean it! Quit it, you guys!" Charmy flew around in a circle, buzzing angrily.

"So, shall we tell 'im the news?"

"What news?" Charmy perked up.

"Well, ya see, Espio and me were on a nice little walk, and we got to chattin', and we decided that we wanted to try somethin'."

"Vector, could you have worded that any more ambiguously?" Espio said, covering his face to hide the blush on his cheeks.

"I'm gettin' there, hold yer horses! As I was sayin', we decided we wanted to try somethin'. Charmy, whaddya say we start our own detective agency?"

"Detective agency? Like Sherlock Holmes and stuff?"

"Kinda!" replied Vector, beaming. Espio smiled and shook his head, admiring Vector's pearly whites.

"Cool! Can I be in it too?" Charmy hopped up and down on the floor.

"Of course ya can buddy. Yer a part of this family too."

"'Family'?" Espio said. "You've never called us that, Vector."

"Well, I mean... yeah, you guys are kinda the only family I got."

"You're such a big softie." Espio teased.

"A-am not!" Vector turned red.

"So what are we gonna call ourselves?" Charmy asked.

"I have no idea, Charm."

"How about the Chaotix?" the bee replied.

"The 'Chaotix'? Where'd ya get that name from?"

"I dunno, it just popped into my head just now!" Charmy said.

"I kinda like it," remarked Espio.

"Yeah, me too. Wait... now I remember, didn't we call ourselves by that name back on Carnival Island all those years ago?"

"Oh yeah, I completely forgot," Espio said.

"Me too," added Charmy.

Vector grinned. "All right, it's settled. From now on, we're known as the Chaotix Detective Agency!"

"Yay!" Charmy squealed.

The three chatted and laughed for the rest of the night until they went to bed.

Espio thought about the day's events. He felt so proud of Vector for deciding to follow his dream. And he felt good for being the one to encourage him.

 _I hope he likes me even more because of this,_  the chameleon thought.

He couldn't believe he was actually going to be a detective. He rolled over and looked down at the sleeping crocodile below him. Vector was snoring lightly as he always did, quietly enough that Espio found it cute rather than annoying. Watching his chest rise and fall under the blanket, his muzzle twitching every once in a while, Espio melted.

_Oh... who am I kidding. I'm in love with this croc._


	2. The Cold Snap

Over a year had passed.

Snow was blowing outside. Icicles grew on the windows, and Charmy would pretend they were swords and spar with Vector and Espio. The two reptiles had to bundle up, even while inside - they were cold-blooded, after all.

The Chaotix Detective Agency was booming. Well, they thought it was, anyway. Due to Vector's kind nature, which lead to him taking cases for free, money wasn't exactly flowing. Despite this, Vector did manage to save up enough cash for some elaborate Christmas gifts, which he had wrapped clumsily and placed under their small tree, guarding them at all times from the curious and impatient Charmy.

On one particularly chilly day, Vector was lying in his bed on the bottom bunk, wrapped up in a stack of wool blankets. He was shivering, and his teeth were chattering rhythmically. Espio was surprisingly more hardy than the larger reptilian, simply wearing two layers of sweaters and three pairs of socks. He was just finishing his daily meditation when he heard Vector call him.

"All right, that's it. Esp, get over here."

Puzzled, the chameleon picked himself up and walked over to the bed, tiptoeing so as to not wake Charmy, who was napping in his small bed on the other side of the room. "Is he angry with me?" thought Espio.

"Get yer ass in here," Vector demanded.

"...what?" Espio was confused. "In where?"

"In the bed, under the covers. I dun care if it's weird, we're cuddlin'. I swear I'm gonna freeze my tail off otherwise..." The crocodile hugged himself.

Espio gasped on the inside. "You want me to... cuddle with you?"

"Is there an echo in here?" replied Vector. "Sorry, I don't mean ta be snappy, but I'm dyin' here!"

"...very well." Espio's heart was pounding. Gingerly, he lifted up the plethora of blankets and climbed in. Vector wrapped an arm around the chameleon and pulled him close.

"Jeez, yer shakin'," Vector remarked. "Ya must be even colder than me!"

"Y-yeah..." was all Espio could manage.

Shifting around, the two reptiles made themselves comfortable. Espio tried to squirm as close to the crocodile as he could without seeming too obvious. He was facing away from Vector, ostensibly becoming the "little spoon" in their arrangement.

"Comfy?" Vector said.

"Surprisingly so," Espio choked, on cloud nine.

"Good." Vector snuggled, his head on the pillow next to Espio's.

Espio could feel Vector's hot breath on the back of his neck. He hoped Vector couldn't see the heavy blush on his cheeks, burrowing his face into the pillow. Vector, apparently still not warm enough, wrapped a leg around Espio's waist. Espio could have fainted.

The two friends lay there for a while, eventually dozing off into sleep. Espio's dreams were riddled with images of Vector holding him, needing him. The crocodile never let him go, even in his dreams.

Espio must have moved in his sleep, because when he woke up he was facing Vector with his head in the crocodilian's warm chest. Hearing a snore and then a whimper, he realized Vector must be having a bad dream. He melted again.

Trying not to move too much, he brought his head into Vector's chest as close as possible. He breathed in deeply, dizzying himself with the crocodilian's scent. _I could stay here forever..._  Espio thought. Anyone who could have seen his face would notice the most content expression in the world.

Suddenly, however, he heard a yawn coming from across the room.  _Drat,_  he thought. Charmy was getting up. The first thing Charmy did was make a beeline for the top bunk to bid good morning to Espio. Finding the bed empty, he quizzically inspected the bottom bunk and saw the two reptiles in bed together.

"What are you guys doing?" Charmy said, his voice a bit too loud.

Vector stirred next to Espio, stretching his body. A low rumble escaped his throat and vibrated in Espio's body. "Rrrrgh..." The crocodile's squeezed his arms and legs, barely even aware that he was crushing his chameleon friend. Espio didn't mind in the slightest. Slowly opening his eyes, the crocodile saw Charmy in front of him. "What time is it..." he moaned, his deep voice music to Espio's ears. The chameleon didn't move or respond, not wanting Charmy to interrupt his perfect moment.

"It's morning! We slept all day and all night!" Charmy squeaked. "Vector, what are you and Espio doing in bed together?"

Vector blinked and looked down at Espio. "Mrrr... t'was cold. We needed each other's body heat..."

"No one cuddled with me!" Charmy complained.

"Charm, you aren't as bothered by the cold as we are. On toppa that, I'd probably break yer tiny little bed if I so much as sat on it."

"Fine... but I was cold too..." the bee shivered slightly.

"Yer not gonna guilt me, Charms. I had the best sleep of me life last night. Well, 'cept fer the nightmare 'bout my headphones breakin'."

Espio blushed.  _The best?_  he thought.

"Speakin' a-that..." Vector looked back down at his chameleon friend. "Esp, ya awake?" he murmured.

Espio didn't say a word. He pretended to still be sleeping, desperate to keep the moment going as long as possible.

Vector gently nudged him, his thumb under the chameleon's chin, tilting Espio's head up so that they were face to face. "Wakey wakey... we can't stay in bed forever, ya know. Unless ya wanna starve."

Realizing he had no choice but to give up the ghost, Espio made a show of "waking up", yawning and stretching (conveniently pushing his body against Vector's), before he opened his eyes. "What's going on...?" he said, trying to sound cute.

"We've been sleeping since yesterday afternoon, Esp," answered Vector. "We basically had a mini-hibernation there... Sorry t'wake ya, yeh looked so cozy..."

"It's okay," Espio lied.

"Well, alley-oop!" Vector said, and rolled over him. Or at least attempted to. "Aack! I'm stuck!"

The pair were covered in so many blankets that they inevitably got tangled together. Vector squirmed, trying to break free. His heavy weight was smooshing the chameleon deeper into the mattress, his snout mere inches away from Espio's.

"Aren't ya gonna help?" Vector said.

"No, this is kind of amusing." Espio hoped his face wasn't too red. He knew one thing for certain - he wasn't cold anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> D'awww. Trapped in blankets... good thing they didn't have a Snuggie :D Yeah, I know bees would probably be just as freezing as reptiles in the winter, but let's say Charmy can handle it 'cause he's a kid :p Anyway, that's chapter two, enjoy :D


	3. The Holiday

Christmas finally came.

At the crack of dawn, Charmy was squealing in delight, rushing over to wake Espio and Vector.

"IT'S CHRISTMAS!"

"Aargh!" Vector awoke with a start and fell out of the bed. "Don't yell at me when I'm sleepin'!" Predictably, he was trapped in the blankets again, and took a few seconds to get loose. Espio watched with a smile.

God, that crocodile is so adorable, he thought. Charmy's shrill voice interrupted his fantasies, however.

"Let's open the presents!" Charmy said, ignoring the crocodile.

"Fine, fine, let's go..."

Espio slid out of bed and landed gracefully on the floor. He followed his two friends to the Christmas tree and sat down on the floor, grabbing a box from under the tree. He noticed Vector was wearing a Santa Claus hat, but had no idea where it had came from. That is the most endearing sight I've ever seen... Espio squealed like a little girl inside.

"Here, Charmy, this one's from me." Espio handed him the present.

"Oh boy!" Charmy grabbed the gift and tore it open, sending wrapping paper flying everywhere.

"Who's cleanin' that up..." grumbled Vector.

"Wow, new sneakers!" Charmy slipped his feet into them. "They're the coolest! Thanks Espio!" the bee flew over and hugged the chameleon.

"You're quite welcome," Espio replied, patting Charmy's back.

"Mine next," Vector said, passing a gift over to Charmy.

The hyperactive bee opened it with gusto. "...new socks... yay..."

"They go with your new shoes," Espio said, hiding a smirk.

"With the way ya go through 'em, I thought ya would be more excited." Vector shrugged. It was his turn now; since Charmy was young and didn't really have money, they didn't expect him to get them any gifts. "Ah whatever. Espio, get that gift for you, will ya? It got pushed behind the tree and I'm sure I'll knock the damn thing over if I try to get it myself."

Espio nodded and crawled down under the tree, grabbing a rather small box marked "To Espio - From Santa." The chameleon smiled and crawled back out, gift in hand. The wrapping was clumsy, as he expected from Vector - his big hands just weren't suited for delicate work. Unwrapping it carefully nonetheless, he took the lid off of the box and gasped.

"Vector... I don't know what to say..."

It was a shuriken. Not just any shuriken, however. It was an antique, one that Espio had been seeking for years. Only four existed anymore; the rest were destroyed. Espio's heart was pounding. He couldn't believe what he was holding.

"This... this is the best present anyone's ever gotten me. How on earth did you get this?"

Vector blushed lightly and rubbed the back of his head. He looked so cute when he was embarassed... "Ah, it was nothin'. Remember our case with the museum owner awhile back? I managed to negotiate this outta him instead of a traditional payment. Meant missin' a few fancy dinners, but it was worth it to see the look on yer face." The crocodilian grinned wide, his cheeks tinted pink.

Espio was overcome with emotion. "There's no way I can top this... but here." Grabbing an elegantly wrapped box, he handed it to the larger reptilian with shaky hands, smiling sheepishly. "Merry Christmas, croc."

The crocodile eagerly unwrapped his gift, making almost as much of a mess as Charmy. When he saw what was inside, he nearly jumped.

"Is this... what I think it is...?"

Vector pulled out a pair of large, sleek, black headphones. "...these were limited edition. I tried to get 'em but they were all sold out at the store... It sucks, too, cause the musician who made 'em was givin' out autographed CDs with each purchase. He was my favourite singer. Said someone got the last set right before I came in."

The chameleon could tell Vector was impressed, but Espio was ready to really blow the big boy away.

"Check the box again," Espio said.

Peering into the box, the crocodilian pulled out the autographed CD. "ACK! IS THIS FOR REAL!?" The crocodile looked up from the CD at the one who had given it to him. "ESPIOOOOOO!"

Vector put down the CD, got up, ran over and tackled Espio to the ground, squeezing him so tightly the chameleon could barely breathe. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! YER THE BEST!"

Espio attempted to return the embrace, but his arms were pinned to his sides. He was suddenly warm again.

"This is the best present ever!" Vector nearly squeaked. Suddenly he gave Espio a big, wet smooch on the cheek. A lingering one, the chameleon noticed. "Thank you so much, ya made my day Esp!" The crocodile seemed to be blushing.

Espio smiled weakly. "Y- you're welcome... I'm glad you like it..."

Much to his chagrin, the crocodile finally got off of him, squeezing him one last time. The hug seemed to last longer than Espio would have expected. He got a good whiff of Vector's natural scent, his mind swimming with thoughts of them together. Finally, Vector pulled away.

Standing back up, the crocodile said, "I think it's time we celebrate! Charmy, put on the Christmas station, we're gonna party!"

The trio of friends laughed and sang the day away, their arms around each other. The Chaotix didn't have a care in the world that day. All they had was egg nog and a cheap radio, but somehow, it was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filler-y chapter, but oh well. Chapter 4 is much better.


	4. The Ring

"WE GOTTA CASE!"

Vector burst into the room, his tail knocking things over as he moved.

"Woohoo!" Charmy, who had been playing with toys, punched the air.

"Oh? Who hired us?" Espio looked up from the book he was reading.

Vector took a second to compose himself. "Miss Vanilla. Said she lost her weddin' ring."

"I thought she was a single parent," Espio remarked.

"Nah, she is, but she kept her late husband's ring with her all these years. Sentimental value and whatnot. Kinda sweet if ya ask me," the crocodile replied. Espio detected a faint blush on his scaled cheeks.

"When do we start?" Charmy asked.

"Right now! C'mon you two, Follow me!"

The Chaotix followed Vector to Vanilla's house, knocking on the door when they got there. Cream answered the door.

"Oh, hi Charmy," she said shyly. Tilting her head around, Cream yelled behind her. "Mommy! Mr. Vector and Mr. Espio are here!"

"Let them in, dear!" came a feminine shout from the other room.

In a moment the rabbit's mother met them in the gleaming kitchen, her long dress billowing. The house was so tidy, it almost looked like it had never been lived in. "Welcome, you three. Thank you for coming on such short notice.

"Aw, don't worry about it, miss. We're happy to help!" Vector blushed more obviously this time.

Espio sighed inwardly. "Agreed. So what is the problem exactly?"

Vanilla frowned. "This morning, while cleaning the house, I noticed my wedding ring was missing. It was given to me by my late husband, and I can't bear to be without it." She sighed. "I've moved on, for the most part, since then... but I never wanted to lose that."

"Do you know where it was supposed to be last, Miss Vanilla?" Charmy said.

"Yes. I normally keep it in a box in the top of my closet. I'll show you." Vanilla motioned for them to follow. "Cream, would you be a dear and go play in your room quietly?"

"Yes, Mommy." The small rabbit curtseyed and walked out of the room.

"She's such a wonderful daughter. I don't know what I'd do without her," Vanilla said, watching her little girl leave the room. The four of them went upstairs to Vanilla's bedroom, which was torn apart, no doubt in search of the wedding ring. Normally, they imagined, it would be as spotless and organized as the rest of the house.

"I'm sorry for the mess," Vanilla blushed, embarassed.

"S'okay, yeh should see the state of our place," Vector replied, grinning.

Vanilla chuckled quietly and walked over to the closet. "It was right here." She pointed at the top shelf.

"Let me take a look." Espio strode to the closet... but realized he was too short to even reach the shelf. He stood there for a moment, his scales changing to red. "Vector?"

The crocodilian laughed and walked over to Espio.

"Can you look-" Espio began, but was unable to finish his sentence; instead of the next word, he said "Whoa!" as his oversized friend suddenly grabbed him and lifted him up, putting him on eye level with the top shelf of the closet.

 _Good thing I'm already red..._ the chameleon reflected.

"See anythin'?" Vector enquired, appearing not to find Espio a challenge to hold up in the slightest.

"Unfortunately, no," replied the blushing chameleon. Vector put him down.

"There must be some evidence somewhere," Charmy said.

"So, Miss, what have you been upta lately?" Espio heard Vector say.

 _That crocodile is just interested in her,_ Espio thought to himself, crestfallen. He continued to examine the room, trying to ignore Vector awkwardly flirting with Vanilla. It was then that he found a clue.

"Charmy, come here," Espio beckoned. He ignored Vector, feeling somewhat jealous of Vanilla at the moment, who was happily chatting it up with the tall crocodilian.

Charmy Bee flew over. "What's up, Espio?"

"Look at the carpet."

Right next to the window, there were some footprints in the carpet, faint black marks indicative of the grimy streets outside. "It rained last night, so the thief's shoes would probably be quite dirty," remarked Espio. "Now, look at the little empty space in the middle of the footprint. It looks like whoever left these prints was wearing high heels." Espio crossed his arms. "Who do we know that wears high heels?"

"Well, Miss Vanilla wears them," said Charmy, looking confused. "Did she steal her own ring?"

Espio shook his head. "Let's rule Vanilla out for the moment. Who else wears them?"

Charmy thought for a second. "Rouge!"

Espio nodded. "Bingo. Add this to the fact that she's a notorious thief, and I think the answer is pretty obvious." The duo walked up to Vector.

"Vector, Espio figured out who did it!" Charmy tugged at Vector.

"Huh? Oh, that's great, good work Espio," the crocodilian replied absentmindedly.

"Come on, Vector, we need to go find the culprit," said an annoyed Espio.

"Erm, yeh better let me stay here with Miss Vanilla. Ya never know if they could come back and harass her, so I'll stay here and protect her..." Vector blushed, ignoring his friends.

Espio screamed on the inside. It was bad enough that Vector was flirting with Vanilla, but now, he wasn't even helping. He was leaving all the work to them so that he could continue spending time with the rabbit.

 _Fine,_  thought Espio,  _I don't need that idiot's help._  Beckoning to Charmy, he left the room and walked out of the house.

"Vector sure seems to like spending time with Miss Vanilla," Charmy remarked.

"So much so, that he's leaving all of the work for us," Espio said bitterly. Then he felt bad, both for criticizing Vector and for doing so in front of little Charmy. "Er, I'm sure he has a good reason, though." Espio quickly added.

"How are we gonna find Rouge?" Charmy enquired.

"We'll hang out by the pawn shop. If she's going to sell a ring, she'd go there."

The duo headed for the pawn shop and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, when they were about to give up, they noticed an attractive figure coming toward them.

Rouge's high heeled boots clicked against the pavement, her shapely figure approaching the pawn shop. "Oh, look, it's Espio! What are you doing here?"

"Save it. We know what you're up to," Espio said, leaning against the brick wall outside of the shop, his arms crossed.

"What?" the bat replied, with mock surprise.

"Give Miss Vanilla back her ring!" Charmy shouted.

"Drat," Rouge said. "I guess you figured it out, huh?"

"Why'd you do it, Rouge?" Espio said. "This is small-time thievery for you. You should be after the Chaos Emeralds or something. And besides, aren't you friends with Vanilla?"

Rouge averted her gaze. She sighed. "That woman was living in the past. Her husband's been gone for years, yet she's still holding on to this thing." Rouge pulled the ring out of her pocket. "I tried to convince her to sell it, many times. She could have used the money for something nice. And besides, holding onto old memories like that isn't a good idea. She'd never move on!"

"That's not for you to decide," Espio interrupted.

"Maybe it's none of my business, but I'm just thinking of her best interests!" Rouge defended herself.

Espio sighed. "Sometimes, what you think are someone's 'best interests' are a totally different thing than what they have in mind." The chameleon's eyes seemed a bit cloudier than before. "Look, Rouge, I know you had the best of intentions, but I really think you should give us the ring so we can give it back to her. The woman is distraught without it. What's the use of money if she's miserable?"

Rouge looked disappointed. "Fine, you win, Espio. Have it." The bat tossed the ring over, and Espio caught it with ease. "I guess a thief like me just has no idea about affairs of the heart."

"Most of us don't," remarked Espio.

"Am I going to have to start running now?" Rouge said.

"No."

"We're not gonna turn her in?" Charmy said, surprised.

Espio shook his head. "Rouge, you were just trying to help Vanilla... in your own twisted sort of way. But you were trying. Just pretend this never happened. I'll tell Vanilla it was some random burglar."

"You would do that for me?" Rouge said, her eyes lighting up.

"We all make mistakes," Espio replied.

Rouge stepped closer to the chameleon. "You're a decent guy, Espio. Too decent for me." She kissed him on the cheek.

Espio felt nothing.

"Well, I'd better get going... give my regards to that gigantic friend of yours, wherever he is." Rouge winked and turned around, striding off into the city.

Espio sighed.

"What was that all about?" Charmy asked. "And why did she kiss you?"

"I don't know, Charmy. Sometimes I don't even understand that woman." Espio began walking back to Vanilla's home, followed by Charmy.

When they got back, they saw Vector and Vanilla sitting at the kitchen table, chatting up a storm. Vector seemed to be blushing.

"Ahem." Espio walked into the room.

"Ah, yer back! Find anythin' interestin'?"

"Does this qualify as 'interesting'?" Espio slid the ring across the kitchen table to Vanilla.

"Oh my... you actually found it..." Vanilla's eyes glistened with tears. "Thank you so much, Espio. You have no idea how much this means to me." Getting up from her seat, she stepped over to the chameleon.

Suddenly, she kissed him gently, on the same cheek that Rouge had pecked not too long ago. "Again, thank you."

Again, nothing.

Espio casually glanced at Vector, who suddenly looked a little jealous. His smile had certainly gotten smaller.

"Really, it was nothing. Just some random crook who wanted to pawn it," Espio replied.

"Y-yeah! Random crook! Never saw 'em before!" Charmy said.

"I wonder why they would take just my ring and nothing else... and how they knew where it was," Vanilla pondered.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Espio said. "We scared him off, so you won't have to worry about him coming back."

Vanilla smiled. "I appreciate this. I don't know how to repay you." The kind woman walked over to her oven, and opened a drawer in the bottom where pots and pans were kept. Pulling out a small bag, she removed some cash from it. "This is where I keep my rainy day money. I hope it's enough."

Vector suddenly spoke again. "Aw, miss, don't worry about payin' us. We just wanted to help ya!"

"'We'?" Espio muttered.

"Please, take it, it's not much but you deserve it." The rabbit pushed the money into Espio's hands.

"Thank you, Miss," Espio said politely. He was worried for a moment that he wouldn't even be compensated, thanks to Vector. "We'd better get going now; it's beginning to get late and we wouldn't want to impose."

"I'd love to have you stay for coffee, but you're all probably very tired. Go home and have a nice rest - you've certainly earned it."

Vector, Espio and Charmy left, saying their goodbyes.

On the way home, Charmy suddenly said, "Wow, Espio, you got kissed twice in one night by two different girls! What gives?"

"WHAAAA-?" Vector bounced backward. "Who's the other girl!?"

"Rouge! She was the real thief! She wanted to sell the ring to get Miss Vanilla some money!" Charmy said, much to Espio's annoyance.

Vector considered for a moment. "Wow, Esp, I never knew yeh were such a stud!" He slapped the chameleon on the back.

Espio looked up at Vector. He couldn't read the crocodile's expression. It certainly didn't look joyful, however. "I guess you could say that," was all the chameleon said in return.

The trio walked the rest of the way home in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, gettin' angsty...

**Author's Note:**

> That's it for the introductory chapter :x Feedback is appreciated! See ya!


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